Apparatus for purifying middlings.



APPARATUS FOR PURlFYING-MIDDLINGS. APPLICATION FILED 5.2, 1914.

1,171,108. 1, Patented F618, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

I A HIWHM ATTORNEY.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH $0.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

C. R. DUNCAN.

APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING MIDDLINGS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2. 1914.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: pd [/VVE/VTOR.

Patented Feb. 8, 1916.

CIR. DUNCAN. APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING MIDDLINGS APPLICATION FILED FEB- 2, 1914.

Patented Feb. 8,1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3 m S S w n W w ATTORNEK IHE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

C. RQDUNCAN. APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING MIDDLINGS.

APPLICATION FILED FEBVZ, 19M.

Patented Feb. 8,1916

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

IIIIII'ZF INVENTOR.

WITNESSES.-

7 m A fro/W554 TH). COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60-. WASHINGTON, D. c.

C. R. DUNCAN. .APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING M IDDLINGS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-2,1914

Patented Feb. 8;1916.'

.5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

g fll ENTOR.

- W Mm WW WW M A TTORNE Y.

(am/W CRAVEN R. DUNOANQOF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS.

APPARATUS FOR runrrxrne MIDDLINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb.8,1916.

Application filed February 2, 1914. Serial No. 815,902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CRAVEN R. DUNCAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county ofWVyandotte and State of Kansas, have invented a cer tain new and useful Improvement in Appa ratus for Purifying Middlings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for purifying middlings.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a novel apparatus of purifying middlings or similar materials with a minimum expenditure of power and with a maximum of efliciency. 7

As ordinarily purified, air is drawn upwardly through the midcllings for the purpose of removing dust therefrom. My improved apparatus provides for the forcing of a current of air downwardly with and then laterally out of a falling stream of middlings. lVith my improved apparatus, the current of air in moving downwardly with and then laterally from the stream of materials to be purified operates in conjunction with and not in opposition to'the force of gravity. In the ordinary apparatus the our 7 rent of air must lift the material, while with my improved apparatus the-current of air is not required to lift the material, thereby effecting a saving in power and an increase in efficiency.

Another obj vide improved means for settling the dust and other impurities which have been extracted from the middlings.

Still another object of my invention is to provide novel means for vibratin'ga screen adapted to close the outlet opening of a settling chamber.

Other novel features of my invention are hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred apparatus for carrying my invention into effect, Figure 1 1s an elevation of one end of the machine, Fig. 2 is an elevation of the other end of the machine, partly broken away, Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the machine. Fig. 4: is a plan view of a por 'tion of the upper end of the settling chamber. Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmental vertical section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a side elevation, reduced, of the machine, partly broken away. Fig. 7 is a top view, reduced, of the machine, partly broken ect of my invention is to proaway. Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmental vertical sectional view. Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view, partly broken away, on the line 9-9 of Fig. 3.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts in the dilferent views.

1 designates the outer casing of the machine having in its top a feed opening 2 through which the middlings are deposited into the machine upon the ordinary horizontalswinging sifter 3, which is horizontally oscillated by a pitman 4; which is reciprocated by an eccentric 5'securedon a horizontal shaft 6, Fig. 8, mounted in bearings 7 secured to one end of the machine.

As shown in Fig. 7, the screen 3'increases 1n coarseness from the'inlet end toward the outlet end. The supporting frame 8 of the screen is suspended by vertical rods 9, the screw-threaded upper ends of which have mounted thereon wing nuts 10 which rest upon brackets 11 mounted on the top of the machine, Fig. 3.

The screen 3 discharges into a hopper'12, the bottom of which discharges into the upper ends of downwardly extending conductors 13 which are separated from each other by vertical partitions 13 and which dis- 7 charge into a longitudinal box 14 located at the bottom of the machine, said box having a longitudinal vertical partition 15, Fig. 3,.

which divides the box into two chambers in which are respectively mounted two longitudinal worms 16 and 17, which are respectively secured on two horizontal longitudinal shafts 18 and 19 to which are respectively secured, outside one end of the box 14, two bevel gear wheels 20 and 21, which'respectively mesh with two bevel pinions 22 and 23, which are secured to a horizontal transverse shaft 24, which is 'rotatably mounted in the bearings 25 secured to the adjacent ends of the machine.

For driving the shaft 24:, it has secured to it a spur gear wheel 26, Fig. 1, which meshes with a spur gear wheel 27 secured to a hori- I zontal shaft 28, mounted in bearings 29 and having secured to it a pulley 30 which is connected by a belt 31 with a pulley 32 se-' cured on the shaft 6. A driving pulley 33 secured to the shaft 6 serves to drive the same. P

At one side of the hopper 12 is a settling chamber 34, which in its upper end is provided with a plurality of outlet openings 35, which are respectively covered by hori-- zontal screens 36, Figs. 3, 4 and 6. Above the chamber 34 and communicating therewith through the openings 35 is a longitudinal chamber 37, Fig. 3, which communicates at one end with a conductor 38, said conductor at its opposite end communicating with a longitudinal chamber 39, which is separated fromthe settling chamber 34 by the conductors 13.

The conductors 13 are provided respec tively with lateral inlets 40, Figs. 3 and 8, which communicate with the chamber 39 and which are respectively controlled by swinging valves 41 which are respectively pivoted to plates 42, which are secured to the upper side of the inclined bottom of the chamber 39, which is also the upper side of the conductors 13.

A. plurality of rods 43 have their inner ends respectively pivoted to the valves 41. Said rods extend respectively through holes 44 in the adjacent wall of the casing 1, and have their outer threaded ends respectively engaged by wing nuts 45, which bear against the outer side of the casing 1, thereby holding the valves 41 in the positions to which they may be adjusted.

As viewed in Fig. 3, the upper portion of each conductor 13 inclines downwardly to the left, and the lower portion of each of said conductors, as viewed in said figure, inclines downwardly to the right. At the bend where the inclined portionsjoin, the conductor is contracted and at its right side,

as viewed inFig. 3, is provided with an outlet 46 which communicates with the settling chamber 34 at a point near the middle of said chambers height.

As shown in Fig. 8, the conductor 38 is provided, intermediate of its ends, with a convolute chamber 47 in which is rotatably mounted a transverse horizontal shaft 48 having secured to it a hub 49 to which are secured the inner ends of radial wings 50. The chamber 47, shaft 48, hub 49 and wings 50 form a centrifugal blower by means of which air is drawn from the settling chamber 34 through the openings 35 and then forced by the wings 50 through the conductor 38 into the chamber 39 and thence into the'conductors 13 through the inlets 40.

The air entering the conductors 13 through the inlets 40 passes downwardly with the streams of middlings, which are being discharged from the hopper 12, until the outlets 46 are reached, at which time the air currents passing from the conductors 13 carry the dust and other relatively light impurities into the settling chamber 34 through the outlets 46.

The blower in drawing air from the settling chamber 34 through the openings 35 reduces the pressure in said chamber and creates a gentle upward flow of the air therein, which causes most of the dust and the sweep the under side of the screen 3 heavier impurities to be dropped from the air which is carried into the chamber, said dust and impurities settling in the bottom of the settling chamber, from which they are carried by a longitudinal horizontal screw 51 to an opening 52, Fig. 5, at one end of the chamber 35, through which the dust and impurities are discharged from the machine.

One end of the screw 51 has secured to it, outside the casing l, a sprocket wheel which is engaged by a chain belt 54, Fig. 2, which is mounted upon two sprocket wheels 55 and 56, the sprocket wheel 55 being secured to the shaft 19, and the sprocket wheel 56 being secured to a horizontal longitu- 'dinal shaft 57, which outside the casing 1 has secured to it a sprocket wheel 58, Fig. 1, which is connected by a chain belt 59 with a sprocket wheel 60 which'is secured to the adjacent end of a longitudinal rotary shaft 61, which extends parallel with the shaft 57 through the hopper 12.

Within the hopper 12 the shaft 61 has se cured to it two sprocket wheels 62, which are respectively connected by two chain belts 63 with two sprocket wheels 64, which are secured on the shaft 57.

A longitudinal brush 65 has its ends socured respectively to the chain belts 63, the bristles of said brush extending outwa dly from the belts 63. The belts 63 are disposed adjacent to the under side of the screen 3, so that the bristles of the brush 65 will.

once during each revolution.

For driving the shaft 48 it has secured to it a pulley 66 which is connected by a belt.67 with a pulley 68, which is secured to the shaft 6.

For shunting the purified middlings from the conductors 13 to one chamber or the other of the box 14, I provide valves 69 which are pivoted on horizontal rod 70 disposed immediately above and parallel with the partition 15. The valves 69 may be independently swung on the rod 70 from the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 3 to the position shown in dotted lines in said figure.

For automatically periodically vibrating the screens 36 so as to jar off any of the lighter impurities, which may accumulate upon the under sides of said screens, I provide the following described mechanism Extending longitudinally through the chamber 37 is a rock shaft 71 which has secured. to it, within said chamber, one or more hammers 72, which are adapted to fall against the upper side of the chamber 34 with suiiicient force to vibrate the top of said chamber enough to jar off the dust which has accumulated on the under sides of the screens .36. For lifting the hammers 72, one end of the rock shaft 71, Out- Cir side the casing 1, has secured to it an arm 7 3, which'is adapted to be struck and swung by a button 74 secured to the chain belt 59. As this belt revolves, the button 74 will engage and swing the rock shaft arm 73, and with it the rock shaft 71, so as to lift the hammers 7 2. lVhen the button 74 has passed to a predetermined position, it will release the arm 73, upon which the hammers 7 2 will fall by gravity against the upper side of the chamber 34, thereby vibrating it sulficiently to displace the dust on the under sides of the screens 36, upon which the dust so displaced will fall to the bottom of the chamber 34. When the hammers strike the top of the chamber 34, the arm 73 will strike a resilient cushion 7 5, which is secured to a plate 76, which is held clamped to the outer side of the adjacent end of the casing 1 by a screw 77, which passes through a longitudinal slot 78 in the plate 76, see Fig. 1. The cushion normally'holds, the hammers 7'2 raised slightly from the top of the casing of the settling chamber 34.

For keeping the chain belt 54 tight, it has engagingwithit, Fig. 2, a sprocket wheel 79, which is rotatably mounted on a plate 80, which is held clamped to the adjacent end of the casing 1 by a screw 81, which extends through a longitudinal slot 82 provided in the plate 80. By loosening this screw, the wheel 79 may be moved to.- ward or from the belt 54 to give the desired tension to said belt. I

In the operation of my invention the blower wings 50 will cause air to be drawn from the settling chamber 34 and to be forced into the chamber 39 and thence through the inlets 40 into the conductors 13. The air thus entering the conductors 13 will move with the streams of descending mid-, dlings until the outlets 46 are reached, at which time the air will be drawn from the conductors into the settling chamber 34 and.

will carry with it the dust and ligh purities, the latter being depositedvupon the bottom of the chamber 34, from which they will be carried, as already described, by the screw 51. The purified middlings will pass down the conductors 13 into one or the other of the chambers in the box 14,- depending upon the positions of the valves 69, access to which may be had by lifting the covers '85, after which the valves may be independently swung to the position desired. Opposite sides of the box 14 are provided respectively with discharge openings 83 and 84 to which the middlings are carried by the screws 16 and 17 respectively.

The covers 85 are hinged to the framework of the machine and respectively cover the tops of the two chambers of the box 14.

.In the settling chamber 34 I provide, preferably, a series of vertical partitions 86 located respectively intermediate of the of the valves.

ter im? I openings 35 and extending downwardly from the under side of the top of the chamber. These partitions effect an equal distribution of the air passing to openings-35.

As shown in Figs. 3 and '8, the valves 41 may be normally forced toward the closed positions by coil springs 41 respectively, the springs being mounted on the pintles I do not limit my ture shown and described, as modifications, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1 In a middlings purifier, a downwardly extending conductor, adapted to carry downwardly a stream of middlings, and having an air inlet and an air outlet located lower than said inlet, and means for drawing air from said conductor through said outlet and for forcing the withdrawn air through said inlet.

2. In a middlings purifier, a downwardly extending conductor, adapted to carry downwardly a stream of middlings, and having an air inlet and an air outlet located lower than saidinlet and in oneside of said conductor, and means for drawing air from said conductor through said outlet and for then passing the air upwardly and into said conductor through said inlet. 1

3. In a middlings purifier, a. downwardly extending conductor, adapted to carry downwardly a stream of middlings,'and having an air inlet'and an air outlet located lower than said inlet, and means for drawing air from said conductor through said outlet and forthen expanding the withdrawn air and 5. In a middlings purifier, a downwardly extending conductor, adapted to carry down-' wardly a stream of middlings, and having an air inlet and an air outlet located lower than said inlet, a valve controlling said inlet, and means for forcing air into said conductor through said inlet and for drawing air from said conductor through said outlet.

6. In a middlings purifier, a downwardly extending conductor, adapted to carry downwardly a stream of middlings, and having an air-inlet and an air outlet located lower invention to the structhan said inlet, adjustable means for regulating the flow of air through said inlet, and means for drawing air from said conductor through said outlet and for forcing the withdrawn air through said inlet.

7. In a middlings purifier, a downwardly extending conductor, adapted to carry downwardly a stream of middlings, and having an air inlet and an air outlet located lower than said inlet, a settling chamber communicating with said outlet, and means for forcing air into said conductor through said inlet and into said settling chamber through said outlet.

8. In a middlings purifier, a downwardly extending conductor, adapted to carry downwardly a stream of middlings, and having an air inlet and an air outlet located lower than said inlet, a settling chamber communicating with said outlet, and means for drawing air from said settling chamber and forcing the withdrawn air into said conductor through said inlet.

9. In a middlings purifier, a downwardly extending conductor, adapted to carry a stream of middlings downwardly, and hav-- ing an air inlet and an air outlet located lower than said inlet, a settling chamber communicating with said outlet, and means for drawing air upwardly through said chamber and for forcing the upwardly drawn air into said conductor through said inlet.

10. In a middlings purifier, a downwardly extending conductor, adapted to carry clownwardly a stream of middlings, and having an air inlet and an air outlet located lower than said inlet, a settling chamber communicating with said outlet, and means for passing air into said conductor through said inlet and into said chamber through said outlet and thence upwardly through said chamber.

11. In a middlings purifier, a downwardly .1; extending conductor, adapted to carry downwardly. a stream of middlings, and having an air inlet and an air outlet located lower than said inlet, a settling chamber communicating with said outlet and having a screened outlet, and means for drawing air through said screened outlet from said settling chamber.

12. In a middlings purifier, a downwardly extending conductor, adapted to carry downwardly a stream of middlings, and having an air inlet and an air outlet located lower than said inlet, a settling chamber communicating with said outlet and having in its upper end an outlet, and means for drawing air from said settling chamber through its outlet.

13. In a middlings purifier, a downwardly extending conductor having an air inlet and an air outlet located lower than said inlet, the conductor being adapted to carry downwardly a stream of middlings, a settling chamber communicating with said outlet and having in its upper end a screened outlet, and means for drawing air from said chamber through said screened outlet.

lat. In a middlings purifier, a downwardly extending conductor adapted to carry ClOW wardly a stream of middlings, and having an air inlet and an air outlet located lower than said inlet, a settling chamber communicating with said outlet and provided with a screened outlet, and means for drawing air from said chamber through said screened outlet and for forcing the withdrawn air into said conductor through said inlet.

15. In a middlings purifier, a downwardly extending conductor adapted to carry down wardly a stream of middlings, and having an air inlet and an air'outlet located lower than said inlet, a settling chamber conmunicating with said outlet and provided in its upper end with a screened outlet, and means for drawing air through said screened outlet and for forcing the withdrawn air into said conductor through said inlet.

16. In a middlings purifier, a downwardly extending conductor adapted to carry downwardly a stream of middlings, and having an air inlet and an chamber communicating with said outlet and having a screened outlet, and means for drawing air from said chamber through said screened outlet and for forcing the withdrawn air into said conductor through said inlet.

17. In a middlings purifier, a downwardly extending conductor adapted to carry downwardly a stream of middlings, and having an air inlet and an air outlet located lower than said inlet, a settling chamber communicating with said outlet and provided with an outlet, a conductor communicating with said inlet and with the outlet of the settling chamber, and a blower in the last named conductor arranged to draw air from the settling chamber and to force the withdrawn air into the conductor through said inlet.

18. In a middlings purifier, a downwardly extending conductor adapted to carry downwardly a stream of middlings, and having an air inlet and an air outlet located lower than said inlet, a settling chamber communicating with said outlet and having a screened outlet, a conductor communicating with said inlet and said screened outlet, and a blower in the last named conductor arranged to draw air from the settling chamber and to force the withdrawn air into the conductor through said inlet.

19. In a middlings purifier, a downwardly extending conductor adapted to c rry downwardly a stream of middlings, and having an air inlet and an air outlet, .a settling air outlet, a settling chamber communicating with said outlet and provided with an outlet located above said outlet, a conductor communicating with said inlet and with the outlet of said chamber, and ablower located in the last named conductor and arranged to draw air from the settling chamber and to force the withdrawn air into said conductor through said air inlet.

20. In a middlings purifier, a downwardly extending conductor adapted to carry downwardly a stream of middlings, and having an air inlet and an air outlet, a settling chamber communicating with said outlet and having in its upper end two outlet openings and provided with a vertical partition intermediate of said openings, a conductor communicating with said openings and with said inlet, and a blower in the last named conductor arranged to draw air from said openings and to force it into said conductor through said inlet.

21. In a middlings purifier, a downwardly extending conductor having an air inlet and an air outlet, two chambers respectively communicating with said inlet and said out let, means for discharging middlings into the upper end of said conductor, a conductor connecting said two chambers, and a blower in the last named conductor for forcing air therethrough into the chamber which communicates with said inlet.

In a middlings purifier, a downwardly extending conductor adapted to carry downwardly a stream of middlings, and having an air inlet and an air outlet located lower than said inlet, two chambers respectively communicating with said inlet and said outlet, a conductor connecting said two chambers, and a blower in the last named conductor for forcing air therethrough into the chamber which communicates with said inlet.

23. In a middlings purifier, a downwardly extending conductor adapted to carry downwardly a stream of middlings, and having an air inlet and an air outlet located lower than said inlet, a settling chamber communicating with said outlet and having a plurality of outlet openings, and vertical partitions intermediate of said openings, screens respectively across said openings, two chambers respectively communicating with said inlet and with said outlet openings, a conductor connecting said two chambers, and means for drawing air from said settling chamber through said openings and into said last named conductor and for forcing the withdrawn air through the last named conductor into the chamber which communicates with said inlet.

24. In a middlings purifier, a plurality of downwardly extending conductors, adapted to carry downwardly respectively streams of middlings, means for forcing currents of trolling said air currents.

air downwardly through said conductors-respectively and then laterally out of said streams, and means for independently con- 25. In a middlings purifier, a plurality of downwardly extending conductors, to respectively carry downwardly streams of middlings, .means for forcing currents of air downwardly through said conductors respectively and then laterally out of said streams, and valves for respectively controlling the flow of said air currents.

26. In a middlings purifier, a plurality of downwardly extending conductors provided respectively with airinlets and air outlets located lower than said inlets, said conductors being adapted to respectively carry downwardly streams of middlings, and means for independently controlling the flow of air through said inlets.

27. I11 a middlings purifier, a plurality of downwardly extending conductors provided respectively with air inlets and air outlets located lower than said inlets, said conductors being adapted to respectively carry downwardly streams of middlings,

adaptedv and valves arranged to independently control said inlets.

28. In a middlings purifier, a plurality of downwardly extending conductors adapted to respectively carry downwardly streams of middlings and provided respectively with air inlets and air outlets, a settling chamber communicating with said outlets, and means for drawing air from said conductors lets being lower than said inlets, and means for forcing air through said inlets and thence through said conductors and said outlets into said settling chamber.

30. In a middlings purifier, a plurality of downwardly extending conductors adapted to respectively carry downwardly streams of middlings and provided respectively with air inlets and air outlets, the outlets being located lower than the inlets, a settling chamber communicating with said outlets, and means for drawing air from said conductors through said outlets and into said settling chamber and forcing the withdrawn air into said conductors through said inlets.

31. In a middlings purifier, a plurality of downwardly extending conductors adapted respectively to carry downwardly streams of middlings and provided respectively with air inlets and air outlets, a settling chamber communicating with said outlets, means for forcing air into said settling chamber and outlets into said settling chamber, and means for independently controlling the flow of air through said inlets.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 1.5 name to this specification in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CRAVEN R. DUNCAN. Witnesses:

WARREN D. HOUSE, E. B. House.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. C. 

